Former Warwick Law School student Dr Chikosa Silungwe was appointed by Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera as the new Attorney-General of Malawi last month. When asked about his new role, Chikosa shared, “it's a huge responsibility reposed in me to serve the people of Malawi.”

Chikosa studied on our LLM in Law in Development from 2004-2005 achieving a distinction before returning to complete his PhD on 'The Land Question in Malawi: Law, Responsibilization and the State' in 2007, graduating in 2010. He is an experienced lawyer and member of the Malawi Bar. He studied his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Malawi. His time at Warwick helped prepare him for his professional career, giving him the necessary knowledge to succeed. He told us “I have relied on the governance thoughts we shared at Warwick throughout the years.”

He has worked in private practice and the public sector; and has in–country work experience in Africa and the United Kingdom. He is world expert on land relations in Malawi using a Foucauldian theoretical framework. In Malawi’s public sector, he worked for the Malawi Law Commission where he was involved in law reform projects on the country’s Constitution, corruption, criminal procedure, education, gender equality, human trafficking, land, the legal profession, marriage and divorce, policing, public entertainment, public health, wills and inheritance. He will now act as chief legal advisor to the government.

Professor Abdul Paliwala who supervised Chikosa’s PhD and taught him during his LLM told us, “During his two stints at Warwick, Chikosa was very popular with both students and staff. He had a very collaborative and innovative approach to learning. We are very happy to hear of his success and this very important responsibility.”

Congratulations Chikosa and best of luck in your new role.